Container



July 7, 1936. J. w. KANE ET AL CONTAINER Original Filed Aug. 9, 1934 -2 She ts-Shee t 1 n wck Jf g Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES CONTAINER James W. Kane, Ira 0. Keller, and Mitchel E. Holy, Cook County, Ill., assignors to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application August 9, 1934, Serial No. 739,140 Renewed March 2, 1936 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to containers, and more particularly to cartons and similar containers which, while capable of ready assembly, will be mutilated or destroyed in the process of removing the contents so as to render same unfit or unsuitable for subsequent use.

One object of the invention is to provide a container of the class described which is simple inform, easy to manufacture, set up, pack, and at the same time, will tend to prevent re-use thereof due to the fact that the operation of removing the contents causes mutilation and at least partial destruction of the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container particularly suited for the safe packaging of bottled goods such as bottles of alcoholic beverages which, when empty are frequently refilled by unauthorized and dishonest persons, generally known as bootleggers, who refill the bottles with illicit liquor and thus, not only avoid payment of the Federal tax but also pass off an inferior grade of liquor for the genuine liquor which the bottle is supposed to contain.

A further object of the invention is to provide a package comprising a bottle within a container wherein the bottle may be sealed to the container.

A still further object is to provide a convenient means for sealing a bottle within a container in which the sealing means includes a revenue stamp which may be readily inspected by opening the top of the container and which will be broken upon the removal of the bottle from the container.

A still further object is to provide a container of the class described in which the destruction of the means for retaining the bottle in the carton is facilitated.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a preferred embodiment of the container of the present invention;

. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the container taken along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view, partly in section;

Fig. 4 is a view of the blank;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View of the container illustrating one method of sealing a bottle there- Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating a modification; and I I Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating another modified form of the invention.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the carton 5 may be made of any suitable material, such as folding cardboard, and may be formed of any convenient size and shape so as to adapt it to retain an article, such as a conventionally formed bottle 6.

While the drawings disclose a bottle within the carton it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to packages which include bottles since the invention is applicable also to other articles of similar shape including as a part thereof a portion of a smaller size extending therefrom and corresponding to the neck of a bottle.

The carton 5, as disclosed, is made in collapsible tubular form and comprises side walls I, 8, 9 and III. The bottom of the carton, generally indicated at II, is preferably of such construction as to enable it to be securely sealed or locked so that it cannot be opened except by being so torn as to render it incapable of further I use as an effective bottom. In the present inslot I6, adapted to receive a tongue I! formed as an extension of the flap I4. In order to prevent intact withdrawal of the tongue I! after insertion in the slot I6, the tongue I I is provided with side wings I 8, I8 which, during the operation of insertion of the tongue within the slot, are bent over to lie flat upon the tongue proper. After insertion of the tongue II, the wings I8, I8 spring away from the tongue proper and cannot be removed unless access is gained to the interior of the carton so as to again bend them down to lie flat on the tongue I'I. As will later appear, the wings I8, I8 cannot be reached from the interior of the carton because of the presence of the bottle therein.

The preferred means for sealing the bottle within the carton will now be described. One of the side walls, such as wall I, is preferably provided with a flap extension 20 which includes a section 2I, foldable at the upper edge of the wall 'I along score line 22, and another section 23 foldable with respect to section 2| along score line 24. The section 23 which may, for convenience, be termed a shelf or false top, is preferably formed with an opening 25 capable of receiving the neck of the bottle.

Additional sections 26, 21 and 28 are preferably provided on the section 23 of flap extension 20 and are separated respectively from section 23 by the score lines indicated. A weakened line 29 extending from the opening 25 to the outer sections 23 and 21 to be readily torn down to the opening 25.

ton are preferably provided withfiaps 30, 3| and 32 respectively, constituting a closure of usual form, the flap 3| including a tuck flap 3la for insertion in the top of the carton.

In packing the carton, the flap extension 20 is first assembled within the top of the carton with the shelf or false top 23 extending across the carton substantially at right angles to the side walls and with the sections 26, 21 and 28 lying fiat against the side walls. The bottle is then inserted in the carton through the bottom thereof so that the neck of the bottle passes through the opening 25. The bottom of the carton is then closed by bending in the bottom flaps and engaging the tongue I 1 within the slot I 6 formed in flap l 2.

At this step the bottle is ready to be sealed to the carton by a suitable frangible or readily tearing device. This may be done as shown in Figure 5 by securing an adhesive strip 35 over the top of the bottle and bringing the ends thereof down along the neck and thence along the upper surface of the shelf 23. This adhesive strip may be paper or cloth of any usual or distinctive form and in some instances may comprise the revenue stamp which is required to be affixed along the neck and over the cap or other bottle closure. For convenience the upper part of the bottle is generally referred to herein as the neck even though such' neck may be covered by a cap extending a substantial distance thereover.

As further shown in Fig. 5 and in the modified form of Fig. 6, the bottle may also be saledto the shelf 23,by means of a suitable film 36 of plastic material which may be either poured, moulded, brushed or sprayed, as desired, upon the top of the bottle and extending down along the bottle neck to the surface of the shelf 23. While ordinary sealing materials may be employed in this respect, it has been found advantageous to employ a thermoplastic resin or a similar material having the property of remaining flexible at ordinary temperature and at the same time tightly anchoring the bottle neck or cap to the shelf 23.

It will'be noted that Fig. 6 illustrates the bottle as being sealed to the shelf 23 by the thermoplastic sealing material alone. The revenue stamp usually affixed over the cap of the bottle is indicated at 31. In this form of the invention it is immaterial whether or not the strip is present.

When the adhesive strip 35 is employed as well as the thermoplastic sealing material, the latter material is preferably applied so as to come into contact with the shelf 23 at the sides of the strip. In other words, the sealing material extends beyond the strip in direct contact with the shelf 23.

In the modified form of invention illustrated in Fig. '7, the carton 5a includes a flap extension 20a carried by wall la, similar to the construction in the modification first described. The extension 20a comprises a section Zia hinged at 22a to the side wall 1a and additional sections 2311 and 21a, the latter being defined from each other and from section 2Ia by the score lines indicated. Section 2111 is arranged to lie fiat against the wall 9a with the free edge of section 21a preferably extending to a point near the top of wall 90!. A line of sealing material 36a is applied to the wall 9a along the free edge of section 2111 so as to join the section 21a to the wall 9a. By this construction it is clear that the bottle 6a cannot be re.- moved from the top of the carton without either tearing the extension 20a or breaking the seal 36a.

The bottom of the carton in this form of the 5 invention is preferably of the same type as previously described.

When it is desired to remove the bottle from the carton this may be done either from the top or the bottom. The bottom may be forcefully' o opened, causing tearing of the tongue I1, after which the bottle may be withdrawn from the bottom of the carton. By so withdrawing the bottle, it is obvious that the sealing means, which may be either the adhesive strip, or the thermoplastic material, or both, will be broken and, at the same time, the shelf 23 and adjoining parts are disfigured and torn so that if an attempt was made to re-use the carton, such re-use would be readily detected.

When the bottle is removed through the top of the carton the bottle neck may be grasped and the bottle forcefully removed thus tearing the extension 28; or the extension may be first t'orn at the opening to free the bottle. In any event 5 the seal or the extension 20, and more frequently both of these elements, will be disrupted or broken so that it will become readily apparent that the carton has been used.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the preso0 While the present description sets forth a pre- 40 ferred embodiment of the invention,.numerous changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered. in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A package comprising, in combination, a bottle or similar article, a collapsible carton adapted to enclose the bottle, a flap carried by a wall of the carton and having an opening therein through which the neck of the bottle projects, and sealing means joining the neck of the bottle to said flap, whereby the bottle may not be removed from the carton without breaking the sealing means.

2. A bottle package comprising a tubular carton and a bottle therein, a permanently closed bottom for the carton incapable of being opened without destroying the bottom, a flap having an opening therein for reception of the neck of the bottle, means permanently joining the outer free edge of the flap and the interior of the carton, 05 and sealing means joining the flap and the neck of the bottle preventing removal of the bottle from the carton except by breaking said seal.

. JAMES W. KANE.

IRA C. KELLER. MITCHEL E. HOLY. 

